A £30bn Severn Barrage between Brean Down and South Wales could still be built, a senior government minister has said this week.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey said this week if the right proposals were submitted the government would look at them.
The plan for a £30 billion, 11-mile barrage between the Vale of Glamorgan and Brean Down could generate 5 per cent of the UK’s total electricity needs and create thousands of jobs, say supporters. However, environmental groups fear a barrage would cause damage to wildlife.
His comments came in the House of Commons in answer to a question from Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy, who asked if the barrage was back on the political agenda.
“I met last week with representatives of Bristol port to hear their concerns that the Severn Barrage might be back on the political agenda and the possible impact of their business,” she said.
Ed Davey replied: “A study was done in the early part of the coalition government and it was decided that while the government wouldn’t take forward any proposals, if a private consortium wants to put forward proposals we would study that, but at the moment we haven’t seen proposals which we could back with any financial regime.”
Firms such as Hafren Power and the Severn Lake group have held talks with the government and environmental groups regarding the proposals.
